Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua will instruct his lawyer to write to the attorney-general’s chambers, to make representation to withdraw a charge of illegal assembly against him.

“There were recent Umno and Perkasa (Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Negara) cases (of illegal assembly) which have not been prosecuted,” he said in a message on his Twitter page.

bersih 1st year anniversary pj vigil arrest 111108 police charge at crowd 2 The case was due to be mentioned today in the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court.

Pua ( left in yellow ), also the DAP national publicity secretary, is among 22 people facing the charge which is related to a gathering on Nov 9, 2008.

They face a second charge of failing to obey a police officer's order to disperse from the Petaling Jaya city council (MBPJ) field, where the vigil was held.

The others charged are Selangor executive councillor Ronnie Liu, Kampung Tunku assemblyperson Lau Weng San, MBPJ councillor Tiew Fei Chin, Catholic priest Paulino Francesco Miranda, lawyer S Ashok Kandiah, Ooi Suan Huah, Ambrose Poh Teik Huat, Johny Andu @ Abu Bakar Adnan, K Thengaran, Ong Boon Keong, Mohd Fasya Mohd Tajudin, Goh Jin Kiat, Henry Hor @ Henry James Hor, Syed Ahmad Syed Hassan, Mohd Khairul Anuar Mohd Jamil and Goh Chien Yee.

bersih 1st year anniversary pj vigil arrest 111108 amcorp The group were among a hundred candlelight vigilers who are protesting against the Internal Security Act, which allows detention without trial, a law which is frequently abused to silence government dissidents.

The event also marked the first anniversary of the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih) protest which saw tens of thousands of protestors taking the streets on Nov 10, 2008 to appeal for royal intervention to ensure fair elections.

Arrests were made while in the group midst of singing the Negaraku , which was the last item at the event. Some detainees, including Pua, claims they were manhandled.